Friday, May 12, 2017

Urban Decay has a new collaboration and it's bold and edgy! Drawing inspiration from the artwork of neo-expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat, every detail of the Urban Decay x Basquiat Collection evolves from the artist's graffiti artworks. Today I have swatches and review of the three palettes from the range to share with you. To read on, click......

Packaging:
The Urban Decay x Basquiat palettes all come in very well-made and sturdy cardboard compacts bearing various prints of Basquiat's artwork. The cardboard compacts have a canvas-like texture and appropriately placed clear embossings to mimic the effect of brushstrokes. The back of the palettes also has a little groove so you can actually hang these palettes as little wrapped canvas artworks on the wall. I honestly can't say I am a big fan of Basquiat's work but the execution of the packaging is A+!

The palettes shut with a secure magnetic closure and the side of the palettes have a tiny black crown, a signature of Basquiat. Both eyeshadow palettes include a dual-ended synthetic eyeshadow brush. The one in the Tenant Palette has a small shader end and a medium shader end while the one in the Gold Griot Palette has a domed pencil end and a fluffy blender end.

Urban Decay x Basquiat Gallery Blush Palette ($45 CAD):
Housed in a square palette, this is a cheek palette featuring two blushes, one bronzer, and one highlighter. "X-Rated" is a light baby pink matte blush with a sheer but silky formulation. "Now's The Time" is a very buttery and pigmented pale gold champagne highlighter, the formulation is very smooth and non-gritty. "Jawbone" is a medium matte bronzer. The formulation is very creamy and highly blendable. Last but not least is "NoHo", a gorgeous matte mauve-rose. The formulation is very pigmented and super creamy.

Urban Decay x Basquiat Gold Griot Eyeshadow Palette ($49 CAD):
This is an eight-shade neutral palette with four mattes and four shimmer/metallics. "Enigma" is a semi-sheer beige cream nude, "Levitation" is a sandy beige matte, while "Not for Sale" is a pigmented gingerbread brown. All three mattes are very creamy and even. "Suckerpunch" is a dark coffee brown with beautiful golden sparkles. Its formulation is very pigmented and smooth.

"Influence" is a metallic antique gold. The formulation is very rich and pigmented. "BK" is a satin metallic gray. The formulation is slightly sheer but buildable. One of my faves out of the palette, "Pseudonym" is a satin deep blackened plum with subtle purple sparkles; the formulation is super creamy and pigmented. Last but not least is "Crown". This is a soft bright golden shimmer that's pigmented and silky.

Urban Decay x Basquiat Tenant Eyeshadow Palette ($49 CAD):
With six mattes and two shimmers, the Tenant Palette is definitely on the more fun and brighter spectrum. "Studio" is a pale baby pink matte; the formulation is a bit sheer but the texture is creamy and soft. "1960" is a medium pink with subtle, barely noticeable golden sparkle. The pigmentation is nice and the texture is smooth. "Neo" is a dark matte plum. This one is a bit patchy but buildable. "Les" is a satin carbon black. The formulation is super pigmented and creamy.

"Graffiti" is a dark forest green shimmer while "Exu" is a bright grass green shimmer. Both shades are nicely pigmented and buttery smooth. "Boom" is a bright matte teal; the pigmentation is decent but the texture is slightly dry. "Untitled" is a dark navy matte blue. The pigmentation is fantastic and the color is so stunning. I haven't tried these shades on the lids yet but from swatching on the arm, it appears that "Boom" and "Untitled" will leave behind a bit of a stain so definitely wear a primer or a cream case color underneath the shadows.